Several vendors were charged Thursday with illegally selling misbranded and prescription drugs after police confiscated hundreds of pounds of the medications during a raid of a St. Paul market.

Six women and one man were charged by citation in Ramsey County District Court with varying offenses including offering misbranded drugs for sale, selling syringes and needles and possession of prescription drugs.

Law enforcement officials searched the Hmongtown Marketplace on Como Avenue near N. Marion Street on June 11 and seized more than 70 bins of unmarked or misbranded pills, drugs, and syringes, including suspected sodium cyanide, steroids, penicillin and opiates from more than 15 vendor stalls.

Residents had complained of people getting sick from taking medications from the market. Undercover officers also had drugs sold to them illegally in recent months, including once in late May when an officer was told by a vendor he could be administered an IV at home “with whatever medicine [the officer] chose.”

Authorities say management and vendors at the market had been warned several times by authorities not to sell the drugs.

Among the charges:

• Tou Yang, 47, of St. Paul, was charged with offering for sale misbranded drugs, selling or dispensing of syringes or needles, and possession of legend drugs.

• Ker Vang, 53, of St. Paul, was charged for offering for sale misbranded drugs.

• Xia Moua Thao, 56, of St. Paul, was charged with possession of legend drugs and offering for sale misbranded drugs.

• Kia Lee Xiong, 50, of Stillwater, was charged with offering for sale misbranded drugs, selling or dispensing syringes or needles, and possession of legend drugs.

• Pa Yang, 44, of St. Paul, was charged with offering for sale misbranded drugs, selling or dispensing syringes or needles, and possession of legend drugs.

• Song Khang, 41, of St. Paul, was charged with offering for sale misbranded drugs, selling or dispensing syringes or needles, and possession of legend drugs.

• Xe Xiong, 44, of St. Paul, was charged with possession of legend drugs and offering for sale misbranded drugs.

Friday's the day to get the shovels at the ready and prime the snowblower. Both will be needed as a weekend storm will bring the first significant snowfall of the season to the Twin Cities and parts of the state.